The present invention relates to the arrangements for updating electronic control modules on a motor vehicle.
Electronic control modules (ECM""s) are semiconductor units used to control various vehicle systems, such as the transmission, body and engine. Traditionally, electronic control modules were unmodifiable single units with inseparable hardware and software.
Today, vehicles are equipped with reprogrammable ECM""s that include Flash software allowing the ECM""s to be modified/reprogrammed repeatedly. Flashing is currently performed by manufacturer authorized automobile dealerships. When an upgrade or change to an ECM is required, the automobile manufacturer contacts the vehicle owner by mail with instructions to make an appointment with a local authorized dealership to have the ECM reprogrammed. The process of contacting the consumer and performing the upgrade is time consuming and labor intensive. In addition, the automobile manufacturer assumes all costs associated with the mailings, and must reimburse the dealership for expenses relating to the ECM upgrade.
Therefore, in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, apparatus is provided for flashing a memory of at least one electronic control module of a vehicle. A portable data storage medium compatible with a vehicle entertainment system, such as an audio and/or video system component, contains control module data. The entertainment system component is coupled via a data bus to the at least one control module and is operative to read control module data from the data storage medium and to transfer the control module data to the electronic control module via the data bus.
In another aspect of the invention, a method for flashing a memory of a motor vehicle electronic control module includes inserting a data storage medium into an entertainment system component associated with the vehicle, detecting presence of control module data on the data storage medium, accessing, with the entertainment system component, the control module data resident in the data storage medium and transferring the control module data to the memory of the electronic control module.
Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.